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May 22, 2019

Wednesday, May 22, 2019 Roland Huget

17 A. Car engine part: CRANKSHAFT. A SHAFT constructed of a series of CRANKS and CRANK pins that attach to the connecting rods of an engine. A CRAFT is a skill used in making items by hand.

24 A. "Tell me about it": JOIN THE CLUB. A commiserating phrase along the lines of "I feel your pain." A JOB is a paid position of regular employment.

34 A. Custodian: CARETAKER. Someone assigned to look after a person, pet, property, or entity, depending on context. A CAREER is a long-term occupation with opportunities for progress.

50. Lonely Planet publication, e.g.: TRAVEL GUIDE. A book of information about a location designed for visitors and tourists. A TRADE is a skilled job usually involving manual skills and special training.

58. Temporary fix, or what's found in this puzzle's circles: WORK AROUND. A method for overcoming a problem or limitation is a system or program. In the theme, various synonyms for types of WORK book-end the theme fill, so WORK goes AROUND the completed answer.

Hi, Gang - JazzBumpa here, as we WORK our way through this puzzle. Let's get on the job!

Across:

1. Receives at one's roof garden: HAS UP. I had to ponder this one. To receive visitors, you HAVE them into your home. So, you could have them up to your roof garden, should you be fortunate enough to possess such a thing.

15. Miracle Mets outfielder Tommie: AGEE. [b 1942] He played for Cleveland and Chicago before the Mets. The Miracle refers to their 1969 World Series win over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. This was the 8th year of existence for the Mets, and their first year with a winning record. AGEE is credited with making two of the greatest and most critical catches in World Series history in game 3, with the series tied. He also led off the game with a home run.

Wanted ASK UP, but the verb tense was wrong. Wanted RELAX, but the verb tense was wrong. It's been a tense morning chez d-o. For a change it was DARN rather than DRAT. Enjoyed the outing Roland and JzB.

TAPE -- My first thought was product demos -- but wait, there's more!

JADA Pinkett-Smith -- Mrs. Will Smith.

TINKLE -- A different image comes to mind.

SCOT -- I visited an offshore oil rig in Indian waters back in the '80s that was manned almost entirely by Scots. Spent a week aboard and couldn't understand a word they said. I requested subtitles, but they never appeared.

Nice puzzle, Roland. I enjoyed the solve and the theme. HECTORS and OTHELLO were the only slowdowns.

Thought of IRISH MISS at BROGUE and DASH-T at HACK. He's a white hat, so no slight intended.

Me too, D-O.

Nice review, JzB. Did you read of Verlander's performance last night ? I was switching back and forth between the Cubs v Phillies and the White Sox v Astros. A couple of really good games to end the day.

FLN, we had an ancient bus driver. Today we have CRANKSHAFT. One of my favorite comic strips, but the Virginian Pilot is too cheap to carry it.

In project risk management we create contingency plans and one or more fallback plans. If those don't work the team is in WORKAROUND mode. WORKAROUNDs are not usually intended to be temporary.

A great example of a side bet is an insurance bet in blackjack. When the dealer's up card is an ace, the house "lets" you place a side bet that the hole card isn't a ten-card (10, J, Q, or K). Pays 2:1. But even if both of your cards are non-tens, the odds are about 3:1 that the dealer won't have blackjack. It is worse if you have at least one ten card, and worse yet if multiple decks are used. They try to tell you that it is smart to insure your blackjack, but it is still a sucker bet (unless you are counting cards).

I thought that a DATE BAR was a tavern with a half-price specials for ladies night.

I am a proud member of the Freightliner Custom CHASSIS Club. CHASSIS from Freightliner are more than steel. They include suspension, steering, brakes, engine, electrical and fuel systems. Great (free) tour of the factory if you are ever in the Gaffney, SC area.

Thanks to Roland for the fun, easy puzzle. My favorite was having SOIL, SOLI and Soleil in the same presentation. And thanks to JazzB for the informative tour.

I initially tried Hosts for the Roof Garden Party. Two of the letters were in the right place! If I invited people to a party on my roof, they would probably fall off due to the slope.

My favorite clue and misdirection was Cap Bill = VISOR.

FLN: Yes, Louisiana does have a State Drink and it is, indeed, milk. Louisiana must have a strong milk lobby. La. R.S. 49:170 was enacted in 1983, and reads: There shall be an official state drink. The official state drink shall be milk. I guess there was nothing of a more pressing nature during that legislative session.

Fun enough puzzle, but I have to rant (or whine..lol) again about circles in the grid. Totally unnecessary in this puzzle, the theme could have been revealed by the wording of the 58A clue. We were getting away from circles, but now have had them back to back days.

But we frequently have people "up" to our cabin in the woods. I guess since it is north of here, we consider it UP. I suppose if it was south of here on the lake we would have people "down" to our lake house.

I wonder how people in the southern hemisphere reference north and south. I north always Up and south always down?

Got it all without searches or erasures. Liked the WORK AROUND theme with the circles. Sussed it when entering CARETAKER. In the middle - - like tying a bow around the puzzle. Liked the seven-letter clustered columns at the four corners.DAHLIA - Named after a Swede; related to daisies and asters.TINKLE - Made me want to go to the bathroom. YAW - - MIND YOUR HELM!. Actually, there isn't a lot you can do to prevent YAWing when the ship is hogging over a storm wave crest and the bow and stern are out of the water so that the propellers are "windmilling", and the rudder becomes ineffective.

Additionally, suppose you live near a mountain that is just south of you and you have a cabin up on the mountain. If you have friends visit the cabin, does traveling up in elevation override the fact that they are travelling south(down) to get there. So are they coming down(south) to the cabin or up(higher in elevation) to cabin.

These are the important questions that keep me up at night. Oh sh*t, there is that word again!

No stumbles of consequence but I can never remember Longfellow's Atri and I waited on perps for Othello and Travel Guide. I think I've heard Hectoring more often than Hectors but wouldn't associate either with Strong arms. Maybe I'm conflating it with Heckles. It seems everyone had the same thought about Tinkle! (Kind of a silly euphemism, anyway.) I don't think a Wednesday puzzle needs circles; they give away the theme too early. Today's revealer would have been a true Aha moment, if not for those circles.

Thanks, Roland, for a mid-week treat and thanks, JzB for the interesting and informative tour.

FLN

PK, I hope your friends and family continue to remain safe. Some of the images of stranded people being rescued and the destruction the storms left behind are heartbreaking.

I guess my luncheon yesterday was a big success as my guests didn't leave until 5:30! Boy, was I tuckered out, but on the positive side, the Bloody Marys were downright delicious! 🍹🍹

Musings-A lovely puzzle/theme for a windy day on the prairie-Graduates who go to a TRADE school face a very bright future these days-Apollo 13 had to use a WORK AROUND to fix a broken CO2 filter-Turning points of the Civil War - Grant broke the SIEGE at Vicksburg at the same time Meade beat Lee at Gettysburg. The war still did not end for almost two years-Hometowns – Dick Cavett – Gibbon, NE, Johnny Carson – Norfolk, NE-Portland, OR is NNE of Salem, OR and Portland, ME is NNE of Salem, MA-Rejecting this group’s DEMO TAPE may be the worst decision in music history -I vividly remember reading this book about human PREY in high school literature -The $49,000 Chevy Tahoe is built on the same CHASSIS as the $76,000+ Cadillac Escalade

Mensa Site, so no circles, which were really not needed to solve today's puzzle. Otherwise it was a good puzzle from Roland. JzB's tour was enjoyable and enlightening.

A few clues were a little puzzling to me, but perps took care of the issues with HASUP, HECTORS, RIEL and ATRI. The confluence of HECTORS and HASUP required a guess of the H.

I wanted FRUIT CAKE instead of DATE BAR, but it was too long. We always had home-made fruit cake and plum pudding (which doesn't have any plums in it) at Christmas time. Many people proclaim that they don't like Fruit Cake, but I'll bet they never had a home-made one.

Nice tight theme- started slow as learning moment with HECTORS - which I thought was similar to heckles as IM said- but has a lot more force with it. I'm used to HAS UP, anyone who lives in a multi-story apartment building HAS people UP.

Shout out to ST LOUIS, which was timely with the NHL Blues making it to the Stanley Cup finals last night for the first time in 49 years!@Yuman - I think of caregiver as you do - but I think of CARETAKER as one who takes care of an estate or other real estate (cemetery, church ) who is taking care of the grounds,etc. for someone else as it was clued (custodian)

Thanks to JzB and Roland! Didn't have to work today - so it was leisurely for once!

Wonderful Wednesday. Thanks for the fun, Roland and JzB.I FIR with only a couple of inkblots, saw the circles (again!) and got the theme.

Bora Bora changed to TORA (I wondered about a repetitive clue, but also noted 42A RESTS and 61D clue "came to rest" dupe). Jade changed to JADA.I had no problem with HECTORS but SMOLDERS just looks wrong without the U!I waiting for perps to decide whether the swabbing site was referring to a surgical site or a boat; DECK it was.Those Irish BROGUES can also be shoes.I presume James of Jeopardy fame know about SIDE BETs.

ST LOUIS was timely as the Blues beat the Sharks to advance to the Stanley Cup finals.(I see inanehiker beat me to the post.)(On a similar sports note, the Toronto Raptors did more than "eke out" a victory last night over the Bucks. They tied the series 2-2 with a decisive 120-102 win! Next game in Milwaukee should be interesting.)

We never eat fruitcake because it has rum.And one little bit makes a man like a bum.Now can you imagine a sorrier sightThan a man eating fruitcake until he gets tight?

Away, away with rum, by gum, with rum, by gum, with rum, by gum,Away, away with rum, by gum, that's the song of the Temperance Union.(Also the drinking theme song of the San Fernando Valley Yacht Club, of which I was once a proud member.)

Yes Lucina, an etude is a study and is used for practice purposes to teach the piano student. Studies are not usually as "pretty" to listen to. I found the SOLI answer a little meh! Most piano pieces are solos (SOLI) and a study is not likely to be performed at a recital as a solo. Seems just a little off to me, unless somebody else has another interpretation.?

Well Jinx, around here we eat fruitcakes. It's the cookies we abhor:We never eat cookies because they have yeastand one little bite turns a man to a beastcan you imagine a sadder disgracethan a bum in the gutter with crumbs on his face.

Dr. Ben Carson may be a gifted brain surgeon. I don't know. But going by my impression of him from seeing him on television, he seems like a bumbling buffoon. I wouldn't want him in the same room with me with a knife while I was unconscious.

BillG, that is absolutely ridiculous, uninformed and irrelevant comment. Surprised that came from you knowing your post history and caring nature. Dr.Ben Carson is one the most highly skilled and respected pediatric neurosurgeons in the world who has saved countless lives. The performance yesterday was a politically motivated HACK job perpetuated by some media. I dont now how else to take your comment other than also being politically motivated. That's a shame and came totally out of left field. I hope all is well with you and Barbara.

Bill G ~I believe the usual expression is "All or None," not "Some or None." Several online dictionaries treat "All or None" as a stand-alone idiom, and Pearl Jam (and others?) has a pop song with that title.Hope this helps...~ OMK

Unfortunately I cant answer that without plunging into the dark and vile world of present day politics so I will let you all do some research into why Dr Carson appeared confused.

However, regardless of yesterday's happenings, there is no reason to attack his credibility as a surgeon other than to make him needlessly look like a bumbling buffoon. Sad, really that we have come to this. Oh well, take care.

I think Lucina's question is a good one. How can a live interview be a hack job? This sounds to me more like a technical question than a political one. Mr. Anonymous, at least supply some links to the "research" you suggest we do. In other words, where did you get your information? This is not a political question; it is an academic one.

The man misheard a question in a noisy, echoing chamber and the talking heads jumped on it like he was an idiot the dumbest person ever to testify before Congress to further their agenda. Simple really. Haven't we all made a simple stupid mistake now and then. I sure glad everything I say isn't dissected under a microscope of hate and mockery. I once asked my boss a simple stupid question in a conference room and was openly mocked and humiliated for days. I refined my resume and fled the hate filled office immediately. Best thing I ever did for my blood pressure and self love. Bullys are despicable.

We can see why politics should be avoided in this forum. I advise giving it a very wide berth, indeed, to avoid the rocky shoals of political controversy.

In a post here I once made a joke about the color red coincidentally representing both communism and the American Republican party. There's a bit of irony there that I found quite musing. This was done in all innocence for the sake of the joke, with no political meaning of any kind either expressed or implied. Some people chose not to take it that way. This blog has a very wide readership, so that is always a clear and present danger.

So, merely avoiding politics is not enough. Please keep it at an assured clear distance.

"The man misheard a question in a noisy, echoing chamber and the talking heads jumped on it like he was an idiot the dumbest person ever to testify before Congress to further their agenda. Simple really. Haven't we all made a simple stupid mistake now and then."

We have given up civility, in order to have our 15 milliseconds of fame, amidst the electronic rush which passes for 'discourse.'

D4 - I knew there was Monday & Tuesday PETA and assumed it was Pastis' theme for the week. Alas, no PETA today.

Mercator@9:17 - that was kinda funny.Jerome@9:51 - that was real funny.

IM - You're right today about Circles. Usually I don't mind them but today they didn't "help" the solve at all and took away the extra aha!. The Circle-puzzles I really like are visualization-meaning -- like yesterday's TINY BUBBLES.

Jayce - CLI makes me think Command-Line-Interface -- where I spend my time HACKin' a WORK AROUND someone's security :-)

Everyone caught the double-meaning of TINKLE but no one said a thing about DICK?

//I'll see myself out :-)Cheers, -T*You know those folks that leave out the second t in totally...

Yeah but I was shocked she didnt ring in to answer the border river question. Even after someone se guessed wrong and James took a few seconds to think about it before he rang in. I was screaming at the TV. C'mon girl. You're from Ottawa!?!?!?

CanadienEh! @1306 Chopin (as noted by JazzBumpa @1522), Liszt and others composed many études for concert performance on piano. There are also thousands of volumes of études for all instruments which are used mainly in the practice room and teaching studio, and also may be performed for faculty in periodic progress evaluations if not in actual recitals. In recent years there have been some accompaniments composed for some of the most popular ones, but the vast majority are still SOLI.

Anyone watching the live reboots of All In The Family and The Jeffersons tonight?

I just watched Jennifer Hudson sing the theme song for The Jeffersons, "Moving On UP" (to a dee-luxe apartment in the sky). I wonder if the Jeffersons ever had the Bunkers UP for a visit.

I missed the beginning. Anybody know who sang...

Songs that made the hit parade, Guys like us we had it made, Those were the days, And you know where you were then, Girls were girls and men were men, Mister we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again, Didn't need no welfare states Everybody pulled his weight, Gee our old Lasalle ran great, Those were the days*